BEING A CAPITALIST CHRISTIAN

Over the last few months a few blogs have popped out over being a capitalist and a Christian, one was very negative and the other was more or less stating why we cannot get caught up in the concept of obtaining things over our love and commitment to God.

I am a self proclaimed capitalist and proud of the ideology that capitalism means in real definition not in the definition of what man can turn it in to. What I mean by that is capitalism is a good thing considering the opposite socialism/communism being a capitalist can be a good thing. The problem comes is when man turns his love from God and his fellow man to the love of money and the love of obtaining things.

In principle pure capitalism works and works well in a free market, if we are honest most societies in the west use capitalism to survive and if we are really honest most everyone whether in a free society or not will seek out capitalism to better their lives. Only a minority truly believe communist socialism will work.

I believe if we were all honest God loving people that really set out every day to help our neighbor that socialism could work. But since we are all born with different skills and personalities, some are type A some are lazy and some just have a mean disposition we cannot effectively have a true society that would work equal and fair for everyone. Somebody would win big and some people would lose big in a socialistic or communistic society it would be no different in a capitalist world except those who tried harder than others would never achieve what they deserve and we would always have those few that would try to exploit others for their gain and again it would work if we all did it for each other but because of what we are and how God has made us giving us free will we are all sinners and that just won’t happen.

When you talk about capitalist Christian in purely a monitory concept you would be correct in pointing out the negative aspects of the concept, but capitalism derives of more than just money and acquiring things it sets out an idea of making the best in one’s self and in the goods one produces. It’s when we take the concept to the degree of having more, wanting more for our own self indulgence that we start to lose the good in capitalism.

Jesus never talked or encouraged this kind of behavior. The mindset of doing your best trying to go beyond settling can be a positive thing compared the socialistic/communistic idea of doing better is not fair for others, on the contrary doing better allows others to achieve better.

The saying that was popular 10 years ago “the one who dies with the most toys win” has nothing but bankrupt a nation a society and individuals. This kind of capitalism is not what Jesus taught. Jesus once displayed anger when he caught the money changers cheating people in the synagogue; Jesus also stated “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24.

I believe the concept of capitalism is in most people, we can take it too far and practice capital cronyism like a few large corporations do, we can practice individual payoffs to government officials stopping small businesses from trying to grow in our small towns and again for our own self indulgence but this is not capitalism and God would never condone this kind of behavior or action. We can be Christians and be capitalist but we cannot put money and things first or else we poison the idea and why socialist are the first to call out why capitalism is evil.

Pure capitalism requires restraint and honor, putting God first in their life and family only increases the ability to be successful. Giving back what we put in will only increase the trust in our fellow man, it can be done we can achieve greatness.